Ship-salvaging apparatus



J. M. ADAMS SH|P SALVAGING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3.1921.

1 ,404,921 Patented Jan. 31, 1922.

4 SHEETSSHEET I.

F l INVENTEIR Ag AM /v55 M fiDfi/VE HIE HTTURNEY J. M. ADAMS.

SHIP SALVAGING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3.1921.

I Patented Jan. 31, 1922.

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J. M. ADAMS.

SHIP SALVAGING APPARATUS.-

AFPLICATION FILED JUNE 3,1921- 1,404,921 Patented Jan. 31, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

HIE FITT'URNEIY STATES JAMES M. ADAMS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHIP-SALVAGING APPARATUS.

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Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented J an. 31, 1922.

Application filed June 3, 1921. Serial No. 474,814.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. ADAMS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicage, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements inShip-Salvaging Apparatus,

and attaching themselves to suitable 00-.

operating members of the ship, for raising the ship to the surface.

To this end my invention consistsin the various combinations and in theseveral important features hereinafter fully described and illustratedin the appended drawingsof which:

Fig. 1 is an illustration of a sunken ship equipped with the devices ofmy invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of a vessels hull, showing how my inventionis applied to the vessel,

I Fig. 3shows, on a larger scale, portions of the device disclosed inFig. 2,

7 Figs. 1 and 5 illustrate the operation of making connection withelements of the in vention, i 7

Fig. 6 is a detail view of a certain'cab'le structure necessary for theproper operation of the device, and r Fig. 7 is a complete viewdisclosing every important element of the structure.

Reference is, in the first instance, invited to Fig; 1, which shows thehull of a vessel resting on the bottom of a body of" water, and all ofthe main features of the invention are embodied in this view. The nu-'meral 1 indicates the hull of a vessel and along the sides of the vesselare provided two series of devices, 2' and 3. The devices on one sidebeing marked 2 to 2, inclusive,

and those of the other side 3 to 3 inclusive.

salvaging vessel, 8, and it is noticed that the crew of this vessel hassucceeded in making connections with the device, 2, for the purpose ofraising the sunken ship, as will hereinafter be fully explained.

No attempt is made to describe the type of salvage vessel used, or thenumber of such vessels required for raising a particular ship, andtheoutline of the vessel, 8, is only intro-- duced in ordertodemonstrate the operation of the structures of my invention. The lines 4and 5 are substantially of even length and this is of importance,because, due to this fact, it is possible to determinewhether the shipis resting in its natural position or whether it has turnedover on itsside in foundering. If the vessel is still in its natural position it isevident that when the lines, 4 and 5, are hauled in by the salvaging vessels, the crews of said vessels can measure the length of the rope endsabove the water and, finding them of the same length, cart be certainthat the ship ison her keel. If the ship has turned in foundering,however, as indicated in Fig. 1, itis noticed that the rope endsextending from one side of the ship will be much longer'than those fromthe other side of the ship and the salvaging crews will then commence tohaul in on the short lines until all lines become of even length,whereupon they will know that the ship is now in the proper position tobe of these devices but wish it understood that I all of the devices aresubstantially alike. Fig.

2 is a cross sectional view'of one side of the vessel, taken amidship,showing one of the ribs, 10, extending from abovethe deck 1*, downwardto the keel 1". One of the devices, 2 is shownresting on the deckadjacent to said rib, 10, and it'comprises a cylindrical hook, .orspear, 11, through which the line i is threaded. The top of the line isclamped to the floating member, 6 and the bottom of said line is brokenoff in Fig. 3, but as in Fig. 2 shown to extend through the rib 10, andinto a compartment 10 at the bottom of which it isfastened. At a certaindistance from the bottom the line is made withan enlargement, or core12, the importance of which will appear presently.

Strongly secured to thev noel L is one or more cables 13, 14, which alsoextend through the rib 10 and to the'spear 11, the bottom of which isshaped to receive said cables and retain them securely fastened. Thelower end of the spear is surrounded by a suitable floating member 15,and this float is provided for the purpose of placing and maintainingthe structure in a vertical position in the water the moment the shipsinks below the surface. I

The operation of my device, so far as it has hereinbefore described, isas follows:

The moment the vessel sinks below thc surface it is found that the buoys6 and 7 will remain on the surface and that the floats 15 will operateto swing the spears 11 into a vertical position. In the drawings thesespears are shown freely resting on the top of the deck of a ship and itis required. that they be allowed suflicient freedom to functionproperly, but it is, of course, necessary to confine them within somekind of a frame in order to maintain them in this position when thevessel rolls in a heavy sea. The ship continues to sink and the buoystend to remain afloat, and the result is that the lines 4 and 5 commenceto slide through the spears 11, through which they will continue to passuntil the vessel reaches the bottom. How much rope is required is ofcourse a question that will have to be determined in each individualcase, but I have found through investigation, that most ships founder inless than 500 feet of water and for this reason I am of the opinion thatabout 500 feet of line is suflicient for each buoy. If 500 foot linesare used and the ship settles at a depth of less than 500 feet and, ifthe water is in motion, as it usually is, due to tides or rivercurrents, it is most likely that the buoys will be carried along by thecurrent as indicated in Fig. 1 until all of the line is played out. Thiscondition is illustrated in Fig. 3 and it is noticed that the core 12,has entered the passage through the spear11, and has come to a stop ofthis passage.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a method of weaving the solid body orcore'12 into the line 4. But I wish it understood that it may beembodied in the line in any other suitable manner, so long as itperforms its function properly.

I am well aware that the lines in the be very difiicult to separate thevarious lines.

at a shoulder portion 11 The salvage vessels are required to carrysuitable devices for engagement with the spears 11, and such devices maytake the shape indicated in Fig. 4., When a buoy is hauled in by thecrew, it is detached from its line, and the end of the line is insertedthrough a cylindrical body 18, which latter in turn is attached to theends of a plurality of strong cables 20 and 9.1. The lower extremity ofthe body 18 .isprovided with a pair of spring-held jaws 17 and 18. whichtake a position facing each other. The end of the buoy line is nowsecurely fastened on the salvaging vessel, and the body 18 is thenpermitted to slide downward along said lines until the aws 17 and 18slide over the head portion 11 of the spear 11, and engage a shoulder 11directly below this head portion. The sunken ship is now, at least sofar as these particular cable and gripping devices is concerned, readyto be raised, and this position is indicated atQ" and 1 in Fig. 1.

The cables. 20 and 21.

are here shown 'bent over a boom 23, such 7 as usually employed inapparatus of this kind, but it may of course be operated upon in anyother suitable manner.

It is my plan to confine myself, if possible, to one standard size ofapparatus, having the cables, the spears and gripper jaws of one uniformsize. Ships that ply the rivers and seas of the world, vary, of course,a

18 by suitable studs 24 and 25 and they are Y urged together byresilient members 26 and 27. It is noticed that the body 18 is made witha plurality of passages 18 and 18 in which the hauling cables 20 and 21are seated. I prefer, however, to employ only one cable and-to threadthe end of this cable through the passage 18 whereupon the cable iscaused to make severalturns along the reduced portion or neck 18 of thebody, and it is then returned through the second passage 18". This Ihave found to be a very substantial way of attaching the cable where thetwo strands 20 and 21 are used. It is of course necessary where 'morethan two strands are employed to fasten the ends ofthe cables to thegripper body in some other suitable manner. The means of fastening theanchor cable in the spear 11' mayconveniently be substantially thesameas just described in connection with the grippers. Such construction isindicated in Fig. 3.

The ribslO, through which the-buoy line extended through the rib and tothe keel of the vessel. I may, however, secure these cables to the topof the ribs, in any suitable manner, and then depend upon the ribs aloneto carry the weight of the vessel, in which case the ribs might have tobe made stronger, but perhaps not so expensive.

In Fig. l I showed the spears 11 mounted close to the top. of the saidribs, and the spears did, a will be remembered, form part of the devices2 to 2 and 3 to 3, but it may be of advantage to carry these structurcs.I'urther away from the ribs, as indicated in Fig. 7. In this view thesunken vessel is shown on its keel, and the devices 30 to 30 inclusive,are placed far enough from the ribs, by using longer cables 31, 32, toclear the vessel, even when the vessel has turned on its side, as shownin Fig. 1. The moment the vessel settles on the bottom it is found thatsand commences to gather around the hull, and such gatheringsand maysoon cover the (levices3 8 of Fig. 1.. But when the longer cablesSl, 32are emploved it is found that all the said devices will rise clear ofthe hull. if the cables are longer than the Width of the vessel.

Further modifications may suggest themselves, and I reserve theprivilege to embody such modifications so long as they come within thescope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a series of members anchoredin the hull of a vessel, means urging said members'into a verticalposition when the vessel is submerged, a corresponding series of buoys,and buoy line extending from the hull and through said members to saidbuoys.

2. In a ship salvaging device, a )lurality of clutch members anchored tothe hull of a ship by flexible cables and capable of seek ing a verticalposition when the vessel sinks below the surface, buoy lines extendingfrom the vessel and through said members, and a buoy attached to the endof each line, and means provided with jaws and mountable. and slidableon said lines for engagement with said members, for the purposespecified.

8. In a ship salvaging device, a plurality of spear shaped membersanchored to the vessel by flexible cables longer than the width of thevessel, lines extending from the vessel and passing through saidmembers, floats to which the ends of said lines are attached, and anenlarged portion on each line and shaped to engage a shoulder portion inthe passage through said members, for the purpose of anchoring the linesin the members, when said lines are fully played out.

4:. In a device of the character described, a plurality of clutchmembers anchored to a vessel by flexible devices, floats attached tosaid members for the purpose of turning said members into av verticalposition the moment the vessel sinks below the surface, means extendingfrom said members for indicating the location of said vessel andmembers, and means applicable to said locating means for engagement withsaid members for the purpose of raising the vessel.

In a salvaging device, clutch members anchored in a ship, means urgingsaid memhers into a vertical position when the ship is submerged, buoycarrying lines passing through said members, and means applicable tosaid linesand slidable on the lines for engaging said members to raisethe vessel.

6. In a salvaging device, the combination with a vessel having channeledribsextending from railing to keel, of anchoring cables secured to saidkeel. and extending through said channels, clutch members attached tothe free end of said cables, locating means extending from said members,and salvaging devices applicable to said locating means for engagingsaid members.

7. In a salvaging apparatus, the combination with a vessel having aplurality of channeled ribs extending from railing to keel,of a.plurality of clutch members, flexible elements extending from the keelthrough'said channeled ribs for anchoring said membersto the vessel,means urging said members into a vertical position in the water, buoylines coiled at the bottom of said ribs and extending through themembers, buoys attachable to the ends of the lines, and means applicableto and slidable on said lines for engaging said members to raise thevessel.

8. In a ship salvaging device. a plurality of spear-shaped members, eachhaving a central passage and made with an enlarged lower portion havingtwo additional p assages, a cable extending from the ship and throughone oi? the latter passages, thence wound around the spear above saidenlarged portion and returned through the other passage to the keel, abuoy line extending from the ship and through said central passage, andmeans slidable on said line for engaging said spear to raise the vessel.

9. In a salvaging apparatus, a plurality of clutch members anchored in avessel by means of flexible cables longer than the width of thevesseland extending a uniform distance above the deck of the vessel,buoy lines extending from the vessel and through said members, buoysattached to the ends of said lines and causing the lines to slidethrough the members as the ship sinks, and

enlargements on said lines and engaging a shoulder portion in thepassage through said members, whereby said buoys are held anchored auniform distance from said mem bers. o

10. In a salvaging apparatus, a plurality of clutch members anchored ina vessel by flexible devices and capable of seeking an upright positionwhen the vessel is submerged, buoy lines of uniform length extendingfrom said members, buoys attached to the ends of said lines, said buoysbeing marked or numbered relative to their position on the vessel, andmeans applicable to said lines for engaging said members.

11. In a salvaging device, a plurality of clutch members anchored in avessel by means of flexible cables, means on said members seeking tomaintain the members in'a vertical position When the vessel is submerged, lines coiled at the bottom of the vessel and passing throughribs oi the vessel and then through said members, said lines havingenlargements for engagement With a shoulder portion in the passagethrough said members, and marked floats attached to the ends of saidlines a uniform distance from said enlargements.

12. In a device of the character described, clutch members anchored in'aVessel, buoy lines extending through said members to the surface, clutchmembers anchored in salvaging vessels for engagement with the firstnamed members and slidable on said lines, all of said members havinghead portions shaped for interengagement, provided with a contractedintermediate portion and an enlarged tail-portion, said tailprovidedthroughwhich the anchoring cables pass, said cables- Withlongitudinal perforations being Wound around the said intermediateportion.

13. A aship by cables longer than the Width of the ship, a buoy lineextending from the ship through said spear and havingyan enlargementintermediate its ends, said .en-

by cables extendable from the ship further than the width of the ship, abuoy line anchored in the ship for each spear and extending through eachspear, said line having an enlargement intermediate its ends, whichenlargement is of a size to enter the passage through the spear butarrested by a shoulder portion of the passage, for the reason of whichthe spear may be drawn free and clear of the sunken vessel from above, abuoy on the end of said line for locating the line, and clutching meansslidable down said line for engagement with said spear.

In testimony whereof I. have hereunto affixed my signature.

JAMES M. ADAMS.

buoyant tubular spear anchored in

